NCJ Number
191305
Journal
Police: The Law Enforcement Magazine Volume: 25 Issue: 8 Dated: August 2001 Pages: 40-46
Date Published
August 2001
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article examined special features of female officer body armor increasing wearability.
Abstract
With the continued emergence of women as an integral part of law enforcement, equipment technology will need to continue to evolve to meet their differing needs regarding fit and performance of safety equipment. Body armor manufacturers are seen as more responsive than ever before and a female officer wearing a modern vest is protected to the very limits of modern technology. The efforts of body armor manufacturers to fit female officers have taken several directions. As the technology has changed, options and performance have increased. This article presented several features of body armor that increase vest wearability specifically for female officers and included: (1) the incorporation of darts; (2) stitchless conformation of the front vest panel; (3) the Akwadyne Comfort Management System of fabrics; (4) contour of the front panel; (5) broad shoulder straps; and (6) the princess cut design. These new technological features were produced by the following eight manufacturers: Second Chance, Safariland, American Body Armor, Point Blank Body Armor, Pacific Safety Products, Reliance Armor Systems, and U.S. Armor Corporation.